$40 million in safe streets funding is at risk: Email the SFMTA Board now!
Safe streets and a walkable San Francisco aren’t possible without frequent, reliable public transportation. But you’ve heard the headlines: Muni, BART, and other transit agencies around the Bay Area face a fiscal crisis unlike any we’ve seen.
That’s why Walk SF is part of the Connect Bay Area Transit measure campaign, which seeks to pass a five-county regional transit funding measure in November to prevent transit from being decimated. We also anticipate supporting a likely November ballot measure specifically to fund Muni operations.
In the near-term – right now – the SFMTA is determining how to deal with operations funding shortfalls.
On Tuesday, Walk SF attended the special SFMTA Board Budget meeting that was all about how to close the SFMTA’s FY 26/27 operating deficit. One potential solution proposed by SFMTA staff was to divert $40 million in street safety capital funding to SFMTA’s operations.
Capital funds are for long-term infrastructure and equipment (things like new speed humps, speed limit signs, traffic lights, red light cameras). Operating funds are for the ongoing costs of running things including staff, maintenance, and supplies.
Diverting money that’s designated for capital to operations is a dangerous tradeoff and precedent for the SFMTA to consider. Street safety projects are cost-effective, crucial, and needed now – and that’s what this capital funding is designated for. Already, the SFMTA’s commitments for street safety projects in the next 18 months are not as ambitious as needed. A $40 million cut would be a major step backward in Vision Zero progress.
Walk SF sounded the alarm loudly on Tuesday in public comment, and thankfully many members of the SFMTA Board shared our concerns for this proposal.
“If we can avoid flexing money to operations, I think we should. It’s a very bad management practice and it’s sort of like heroin: once you’re hooked it’s hard to get unhooked,” said SFMTA Director Steve Heminger.
“I think the Board does not have a good idea of what the opportunity costs of flexing capital funds is and how much that would impact our operating costs and…what sorts of projects would fall below the line if we had less capital money,” said SFMTA Director Mike Chen.
Our safety must not be compromised or delayed.
Mayor Lurie and the entire Board of Supervisors have asked for faster progress now, as shown in the new Street Safety Act and the Mayor’s executive directive.
The City *could* be at a turning point in reducing severe and fatal crashes – but won’t happen if a large portion of street safety capital funding disappears.
The SFMTA Board will likely vote on this proposal in March. So now is the time to email the Board and ask them to protect safe street capital funding.
Other sources for filling the funding gap were proposed on Tuesday, from using a state loan, tapping into the SFMTA’s reserves, and looking at one-time savings from cost controls.
The SFMTA Board must find a different solution than sacrificing our safety. Safe streets and public transit go hand-in-hand, and cannot be pitted against each other.
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